Pico-Falcon

Pico-Falcon

Pico-Falcon

Pico-Falcon

Pico-Falcon

Pico-Falcon

Pico-Falcon

Pico-Falcon

Pico-Falcon

Pico-Falcon

Pico-Falcon

Autonomous drones hit the headlines on a regular basis due to how quickly they are advancing in functionality. This has also sparked a market for consumer-grade remote-controlled flying craft, with everything from very expensive camera-carrying quadcopters down to the tiny RC helicopters that need recharging after only a few minutes of flight.

Bandai subsidiary CCP is set to release a new RC helicopter in that low end consumer category that will make for the perfect stocking filler this Christmas. It’s called the Pico-Falcon, and it’s the world’s smallest remote-controlled helicopter.

The Pico-Falcon really is tiny, measuring 46mm in length, and even the infrared controller that ships with it looks huge in comparison. The Pico-Falcon is actually an update to the Nano-Falcon, which was released back in 2013 and held the crown of world’s smallest until now. The Pico-Falcon is not only smaller it’s also much improved with a new gyrocenter and tandem rotors for better stability.

Because it’s so tiny, inevitably the battery is, too. A 30 minute charge gets you 4 minutes of flying time, which is verging on the ridiculous. At $45 it’s not expensive but also can’t be classed as cheap either, really. It’s a gift that will keep the recipient amused on Christmas Day and then spend the rest of its days on a shelf or in a cupboard. Every urge to fly it will be offset by the realization you need to wait 30 minutes while it charges.

The Pico-Falcon (available in orange, blue, and green) is set to launch on December 5 in Japan and might make it to western shores before December is over. The Nano Falcon was released outside of Japan so I see no reason the Pico won’t.